Remote control protection device

ABSTRACT

A remote control protection device is provided and includes a device housing, wherein the device housing includes a housing front associated with a housing rear via a housing base to define a housing cavity for containing a wireless remote control device having at least one actuation device for wirelessly communicating with a remote device, wherein when the wireless remote control device is disposed within the housing cavity, the at least one actuation device is disposed adjacent to the device housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the wireless remote control devices and more particularly to a protection device for a wireless remote control device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the world has become more technologically advanced, our reliance on wireless technology has increased while our reliance on mechanical devices such as knobs, dials, and switches has become less prevalent. In fact, wireless technology has become so common place that these once necessary manual devices and operations have almost been made obsolete by replacing many of these operations with the push of a button on a wireless remote control device. As such, the operation of these push button remote control devices have replaced many inconvenient manual operations, such as turning a television dial, operating a stereo or VCR and/or turning an automobile key to start or unlock a vehicle.

Wireless remote control devices have been around for years and have been used to control many different types of devices, including televisions, stereos, VCR's, DVD players and even answering the telephone. As such, almost every home in the United States includes at least one remote control device of some kind. As expected, this wireless technology would not be confined only to living spaces and has thus become prevalent in many other industries, such as the automotive industry. For example, keyless entry remote control devices and remote control car starters have become common options in a wide variety of automobiles allowing the owner of the vehicle to open and/or start his or her automobile quickly, easily, and remotely. Opening an automobile door without fumbling around with a key, along with having that automobile started and ready to operate upon arrival, is not only a desirable convenience, but in many cases may also be a matter of security. This is because in high crime areas the longer a person takes to retrieve his/her keys and unlock their car may increase their risk of being assaulted and/or robbed. As such, standing around in a dark parking lot in a crime ridden area fumbling for keys is quite undesirable.

However, the need for keyless entry remote control devices and remote car starters to travel with the car and its operator made it necessary that the remote control devices also be more compact and portable than their entertainment appliance counterparts. As such, this need for portability resulted in these remote control devices being characteristically compact in size and key-ring attachable. Unfortunately however, as convenient and compact as key-ring attachable remote control devices are, they do have some drawbacks. First, key-rings are typically home to a plurality of hard metal keys. As such, any keys and remote control devices that are attached to the key-ring may be jostled against each other and the other contents of a pocket or pocketbook while a person moves about, possibly causing damage to the push buttons on the remote control device. Additionally, these key rings and their attachments may be thrown and/or dropped, exposing the attached remote control devices to all kinds of blunt trauma and impact. As its size typically leaves the remote control device ill-equipped to handle the type of abuse the key ring may be subjected to the possibility of damage to the remote control device is increased.

Additionally, the jostling of the remote control device may have implications far beyond just physically damaging the remote control device. For example, as the remote control device is disposed within a pants' pocket or a pocketbook, the remote control device buttons may be accidentally engaged by the items being bumped up against the remote control device. This is undesirable because if the button(s) of a remote control device are accidentally engaged, the automobile may become unlocked or started without the owners intent and/or knowledge, possibly leading to theft of the vehicle or its' contents and/or depletion of the vehicle's entire fuel supply.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A remote control protection device is provided and includes a device housing, wherein the device housing includes a housing front associated with a housing rear via a housing base to define a housing cavity for containing a wireless remote control device having at least one actuation device for wirelessly communicating with a remote device, wherein when the wireless remote control device is disposed within the housing cavity, the at least one actuation device is disposed adjacent to the device housing

A remote control protection device is provided and includes a device housing, wherein the device housing includes a housing rear portion, a housing side portion and a housing front portion defining a housing cavity for containing a wireless remote control device having an actuation device, wherein the housing front portion is movably associated with the device housing to be configurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, and wherein when the wireless remote control device is disposed within the housing cavity and the housing front portion is configured into the closed configuration, the housing front portion is disposed adjacent the actuation device and when the wireless remote control device is disposed within the housing cavity and the housing front portion is configured into the open configuration, the housing front portion is disposed away from the actuation device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are numbered alike:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a remote control protection device, in accordance with a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a typical wireless remote control device;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 disassociated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a rear view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 disassociated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7B is a side view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 disassociated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a remote control protection device, in accordance with a second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the remote control protection device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 disassociated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a top down view of a remote control protection device, in accordance with a third embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a front view of the remote control protection device of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a top down view of the remote control protection device of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the remote control protection device of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 14;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device of FIG. 14;

FIG. 20 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with a remote control protection device in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with a remote control protection device in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a side view a remote control protection device in accordance with a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a side sectional view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device in FIG. 22; and

FIG. 25 is a front view of the wireless remote control device of FIG. 3 associated with the remote control protection device in FIG. 22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a first embodiment of a remote control protection device 100 is shown and includes a device housing 102 having a housing front 104, a housing base 106, and a housing rear 108, wherein the housing front 104 is associated with the housing rear 108 via the housing base 106 to form a housing cavity 110. The housing rear 108 includes an upper portion 112 defining an upper portion cavity 114 for connectively associating with a key ring 116 and/or a remote control device 118. Referring to FIG. 3, a remote control device 118 is shown and typically includes a device front portion 120, a device rear portion 122 and a device side portion 124, wherein at least one of the device front portion 120 and the device rear portion 122 may include at least one actuator button 126 for remotely associating with an electronic receiving device disposed within a vehicle. The remote control device 118 may also include a device upper portion 128 defining a device cavity 130 for connectively associating with a key ring 116 and/or a remote control protection device 100.

Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the remote control device 118 is shown being at least partially disposed within the housing cavity 110 such that the device cavity 130 is adjacent with the upper portion cavity 114, wherein the remote control device 118 is associated with the device housing 102 via the key ring 116 which is movably disposed within the device cavity 130 and the upper portion cavity 114. It should be appreciated that at least one of the key ring 116, the upper portion cavity 114 and the device cavity 130 define an axis of rotation x around which at least one of the remote control device 118 and the device housing 102 may rotate. Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A, this configuration allows at least one of the remote control device 118 and the device housing 102 to rotate about the axis of rotation x such that the remote control device 118 is movably associated with the housing cavity 110. Moreover, as shown the remote control device 118 may be disposed within the housing cavity 110, such that the at least one actuator button 126 disposed on the device front portion 120 is adjacent the housing rear 108 to provide protection for the at least one actuator button 126. As such, in order to access the at least one actuator button 126 at least one of the device housing 100 and the remote control device 118 should be rotated away from the other of the at least one of the device housing 100 and the remote control device 118 such that the at least one actuator button 126 is not disposed adjacent the housing rear 108. Referring to FIG. 7B, it should be further appreciated that the remote control protection device 100 may also include a fastening portion 132 for fastening the remote control protection device 100 onto a belt and/or other structure.

It should be appreciated that if the at least one actuator button 126 is disposed on the device front portion 120 and/or the device rear portion 122, then the housing front 104 may be sized to cover the area of the device rear portion 122 that includes the at least one actuator button 126. Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, a second embodiment of the a remote control protection device 200 is shown and includes a device housing 202 having a housing front 204, a housing base 206 and a housing rear 208, wherein the housing front 204 is associated with the housing rear 208 via the housing base 206 to form a housing cavity 210. The housing rear 208 may include an upper portion 212 defining an upper portion cavity 214 for connectively associating with a key ring 116 and/or a remote control device 118. Referring to FIG. 10, FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the remote control device 118 is shown at least partially disposed within the housing cavity 210 such that the device cavity 230 is adjacent with the upper portion cavity 214, wherein the remote control device 218 is associated with the device housing 202 via the key ring 216 which is movably disposed within the device cavity 230 and the upper portion cavity 214. Referring to FIG. 13, it should be further appreciated that the remote control protection device 200 may also include a fastening portion 232 for fastening the remote control protection device 200 onto a belt and/or other structure.

Referring to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, a third embodiment of a remote control protection device 300 is shown and includes a device housing 302 having a housing front 304, a housing base 306, and a housing rear 308, wherein the housing front 304 is associated with the housing rear 308 via the housing base 306 to form a housing cavity 310. The housing front 304 includes a configurable front portion 312 for accessing the housing cavity 310, wherein the front portion 312 is movably associated with the housing front 304 to be configurable between a closed configuration 314 and an open configuration 316 by rotating about an axis of rotation z. Referring to FIG. 16, FIG. 17, FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the front portion 312 may be configured between the closed configuration 314 and the open configuration 316 by rotating the front portion 312 about the axis of rotation z to allow access to the housing cavity 310, such that when a remote control device 118 is disposed within the housing cavity 310 the at least one actuator button 126 is accessible. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the remote control protection device 300 may also include a fastening portion 332 for fastening the remote control protection device 300 onto a belt and/or other structure

In a similar fashion, referring to FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, a fourth embodiment of a remote control protection device 400 is shown and includes a device housing 402 having a housing front 404, a housing base 406, and a housing rear 408, wherein the housing front 404 is associated with the housing rear 408 via the housing base 406 to form a housing cavity 410. The housing front 404 includes a configurable front portion 412 for accessing the housing cavity 410, wherein the front portion 412 is movably associated with the housing front 404 to be configurable between a closed configuration 414 and an open configuration 416 by rotating about an axis of rotation y.

Referring to FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, a fifth embodiment of a remote control protection device 500 is shown and includes a device housing 502 having a housing front 504, a housing base 506, and a housing rear 508, wherein the housing front 504 is associated with the housing rear 508 via the housing base 506 to form a housing cavity 510. Referring to FIG. 24 and FIG. 25, the housing front 504 includes a configurable front portion 512 for accessing the housing cavity 510, wherein the front portion 512 is movably associated with the housing front 504 to be configurable between a closed configuration 514 and an open configuration 516 by collapsing upon itself to allow access to the housing cavity 510 and by expanding to limit access to the housing cavity 510. The front portion 512 may be configured into the open configuration 516 by applying a downward pressure on the front portion 512 to cause the front portion to collapse upon itself. Furthermore, the front portion 512 may be configured into the closed configuration 514 by applying an upward pressure on the front portion 512 to cause the front portion to expand and cover at least a portion of the housing cavity 510. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the remote control protection device 500 may also include a fastening portion 532 for fastening the remote control protection device 500 onto a belt and/or other structure

It is contemplated that the remote control protection device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 may be constructed from any material suitable to the desired end purpose, such as a plastic material, a composite material and/or any combination thereof. Moreover, as discussed hereinabove, it should be appreciated that each of the embodiments of the remote control protection device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 may include a fastening device 132, 232, 332 432 for fastening the remote control protection device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 to a belt, a purse and/or pocket. It should be further appreciated that although the remote control device 118 disclosed herein is shown as being an automobile remote control, the remote control device 118 may be any type of wireless device suitable to the desired end purpose, such as a cell phone, a personal data assistant, a wireless door actuation device and/or a personal alarm device. It is additionally contemplated that the remote control protection device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 may be a standalone device and may not be associated with a key ring 116. The embodiments disclosed herein provide for a remote control protection device 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 that is configurable between an open configuration and a closed configuration using only one hand.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, unless specifically stated any use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. 

1. A remote control protection device, comprising: a device housing, wherein said device housing includes a housing front associated with a housing rear via a housing base to define a housing cavity for containing a wireless remote control device having at least one actuation device for wirelessly communicating with a remote device, wherein when said wireless remote control device is disposed within said housing cavity, said at least one actuation device is disposed adjacent to said device housing.
 2. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, further including an upper portion cavity for associating with a key ring.
 3. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, further including a fastening device for securely associating said automobile remote control protection device with a carrying structure.
 4. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, wherein said device housing is constructed from at least one of a plastic material, a composite material, a metallic material and any combination thereof.
 5. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, wherein said housing front is movably associated with said device housing to be configurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration.
 6. A remote control protection device according to claim 5, wherein when said housing front is configured into said closed configuration, said housing front is disposed to at least partially enclose said housing cavity.
 7. A remote control protection device according to claim 5, wherein when said housing front is configured into said open configuration, said housing front is disposed to allow access to said housing cavity.
 8. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said wireless remote control device and the remote control protection device is rotatingly associated with the other of said wireless remote control device and the remote control protection device, such that when said wireless remote control device is disposed within said housing cavity, at least one of said wireless remote control device and the remote control protection device is disassociated from the other of said wireless remote control device and the remote control protection device.
 9. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said housing front is movably associated with said housing device to cover at least a portion of said housing cavity.
 10. A remote control protection device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said housing front is movably associated with said device housing via at least one of a rotating motion and a sliding motion.
 11. A remote control protection device according to claim 5, wherein said housing front is configured to be positionable between said open configuration and said closed configuration via one hand.
 12. A remote control protection device, comprising: a device housing, wherein said device housing includes a housing rear portion, a housing side portion and a housing front portion defining a housing cavity for containing a wireless remote control device having an actuation device, wherein said housing front portion is movably associated with the device housing to be configurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration, and wherein when said wireless remote control device is disposed within said housing cavity and said housing front portion is configured into said closed configuration, said housing front portion is disposed adjacent said actuation device and when said wireless remote control device is disposed within said housing cavity and said housing front portion is configured into said open configuration, said housing front portion is disposed away from said actuation device.
 13. A remote control protection device according to claim 12, further including an upper portion cavity for associating with a key ring.
 14. A remote control protection device according to claim 12, further including a fastening device for securely associating said automobile remote control protection device with a carrying structure.
 15. A remote control protection device according to claim 12, wherein said device housing is constructed from at least one of a plastic material, a composite material, a metallic material and any combination thereof.
 16. A remote control protection device according to claim 12, wherein said housing front is movably associated with said device housing to be configurable between a closed configuration and an open configuration.
 17. A remote control protection device according to claim 16, wherein when said housing front is configured into said closed configuration, said housing front is disposed to at least partially enclose said housing cavity.
 18. A remote control protection device according to claim 16, wherein when said housing front is configured into said open configuration, said housing front is disposed to allow access to said housing cavity.
 19. A remote control protection device according to claim 16, wherein said housing front is configured to be positionable between said open configuration and said closed configuration via one hand. 